US industrial giant Masco Corporation has acquired Israeli start-up SmarTap

US industrial giant Masco Corporation has acquired Israeli start-up SmarTap, which has developed a system that makes the shower smart and allows it to be controlled remotely. The exact transaction amount is unknown. SmarTap's product will be integrated as part of Masco's services, which specializes in home improvement products and also operates in the IOT (Internet of Things).
To date, SmarTap has raised $ 7 million from investors such as Terra Venture Partners, which focuses on Impact (Environmental Improvement Technologies), Kibbutz Elon and private investors. The company has developed a hardware and software product that connects the shower faucet to the Internet and allows remote control of temperature and water intensity - as well as water and energy savings.
The tap control is done via an app or via voice commands, so you can, for example, fill the bathroom automatically. According to the company, the system includes a burn protection program, allows consumption restriction and can detect explosions and unusual piping pressures.
SmarTap was founded in 2010 by Asaf Shaltiel, an electronics engineer from the Technion. The idea of ​​founding the company was born after Shaltiel noticed his sister, the twin mother, who had to deal daily with the dual bathroom refill task, and had difficulty with the water refill task with the right temperature and quantity.
The company currently employs 15 people, who will continue to work from Israel, as part of what will become a Masco development center in Israel - which until now has had no activity in the country. Masco is a member of the Fortune 500 list (which includes the 500 largest companies in the United States) and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In two other divisions in the cabinets and wood products, and decorative architectural products for the home.